Turntable assembly for physical distribution, transportation, and warehousing of railcars

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a turntable assembly adapted to be concentrically positioned among a plurality of radially aligned pairs of outer railways for reducing rail car dwell time, physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards. The turntable assembly comprises a fixed mounted platform having a central railway in the form of a plurality of perpendicular crossing railway tracks, an azimuthally rotatable annular frame circumscribing the rotatably mounted platform and having a spaced plurality of radially disposed intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different pairs of outer railways and perpendicularly crossing railways tracks. The turntable assembly allows placing of multiple railcars on turntables simply by repositioning the turntables to accept new railcars without removing existing railcars and capable of acting as a bypass for traffic on the feeder track.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to turntables, and more particularly it relates to a sequencing turntable assembly having a plurality of radially aligned outer railways in conjunction with a plurality of central and intermediate railways configured for reducing rail car dwell time by physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An article, dated Mar. 31, 2004, titled “Freight-Car Congestion Is Worrying Union Pacific” published in the New York Times, states several reasons for railroad congestion. One reason that prods the sequencing turntable development is rail yard time on a weekly average per rail car is 49.0 hours at West Colton rail yard in Southern California during March, 2004.

Rail yard time is dwell time for a rail car when it's not being sorted and spotted for newly formed blocks for the next destination. A stationary rail car is costly to the shipper, the railroad carrier, and to the economy.

Railway trains are often composed of a number of railcars having different destinations. Ideally railcars with the same destination will be placed consecutively, so they can be easily parsed as a group. Because railcars having the same destination may themselves come from different sources, it is difficult to place these railcars in sequence. Often a train is dispatched with the desired railcars out of sequence. When this happens, much effort must be spent on decoupling randomly distributed railcars and directing them to a spur or other railways servicing a destination. In railroad depots, rail yards, and repair shops, a turntable is often used to quickly direct a railcar or other vehicle to sheds or hangers that can be arranged around the turntable in a circle. These arrangements are used to save space and to quickly move railcars.

Attempts were made in the present field to address the issue of reducing the rail car dwell time. The prior arts closely related to the present invention include the following:

The U.S. Pat. No. 889,372, discloses a turntable with a single track that can rotate to one of several radially disposed tracks. The U.S. Pat. No. 889,371 discloses a normal surface turntable comprising circular tracks sunk in a normal surface and a table composed of a plurality of self sustaining sections, each section comprising longitudinal members and a revolving support. A disadvantage with such turntables is the limitations associated with employing only a single track on a single table. When a railcar is placed on such a turntable, the table must be rotated and the railcar on the table must be removed before the table can be repositioned to accept a new railcar.

The U.S. Pat. No. 1,732,551, discloses a method of assembling and installing a turn table comprising assembling the center bearing of the turn table with the radially extending stringers, assembling the outside rollers on the stringers, spacing the stringers, securing the track of the underside of the rollers and flowing concrete beneath the turn table to grip and secure in position the track, and releasing the track from the rollers. This invention does not address the issue related to efficient handling of railcars for physical distribution, transportation and warehousing and the reduction of rail car dwell time in rail yard.

The U.S. Pat. No. 1,452,426, discloses a building including in combination an annular series of storage spaces, each of said annular series of storage spaces providing a passage-way, and a turn table disposed within and encircled by said series. The building including in combination a plurality of annular series of storage spaces, each of said annular series of storage spaces providing a passage-way, and a turn table disposed within and encircled by the innermost series, certain of said series of storage spaces being movable with respect to other series of storage spaces. This invention does not specifically address the handling of railcars in rail yard and does not disclose a system for reducing rail car dwell time and physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards.

It is well understood that a great amount of space is wasted in storage buildings, such as garages, rail yards, in that it is necessary that each vehicle disposed therein must be readily available. Further, it is difficult to place railcars in sequence which may come from different sources and having the same destination. Often a train is dispatched with the desired railcars out of sequence and then much effort must be spent on decoupling randomly distributed railcars and directing them to a spur or other railways servicing a destination. The features of the aforecited prior art disclose a complex design of turntables and bulky structural indices that hinder their performance. The above cited prior art does not specifically address the handling of railcars in a rail yard and does not disclose reducing rail car dwell time. Further, the above cited prior art does not provide an improved turntable assembly having simple structural indices and multiple tracks for reliable operation by allowing placing of multiple railcars on turntables simply by repositioning the turntables to accept new railcars without removing existing railcars. Moreover, in the prior art, the railcars on railways cannot be removed from the turntable, while new railcars are loaded onto the turntable from the feeder railway, and the cited turntables in the prior arts are not capable of acting as a bypass for traffic on the feeder track.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved combination of convenient and utility for reducing rail car dwell time in rail yards, physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards, to place the railcars in sequence which have same destinations and may come from different sources, to save space, and to quickly move/direct railcars.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the above-described prior arts, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved combination of convenience and utility, to include all the advantages of the prior arts, and overcome the abovementioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior arts. The present invention is an improvement over the method for the assembly and installation of turntables as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,929, issued to the inventors of the present invention.

The principal aspect of the present invention is to provide a system and method of sequencing turntable for reducing rail car dwell time in rail yards, physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards, to place the railcars in sequence which have same destinations and may come from different sources, to save space, and to quickly move/direct railcars.

In an another aspect of the present invention, a turntable comprises an azimuthally rotatable, annular frame having a spaced plurality of radially disposed, intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different ones of said outer railways.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable assembly for moving railcars comprises a rotatably mounted platform having at least one central railway in the form of a plurality of perpendicularly crossing railway tracks, an azimuthally rotatable annular frame with inner and outer ends having a spaced plurality of radially disposed intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different ones of the outer railways at the outer ends and aligning with at least one of the railway tracks at the inner ends. The annular frame concentrically engulfs the rotatably mounted platform.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable assembly for moving railcars comprises preferably three concentric assemblies. The center assembly has, preferably, two crossed pair of tracks. The encircling outer assembly has, preferably, an equiangularly spaced, even number of railway tracks. At the periphery of the dual turntable are a plurality of radially aligned railways. The railways of the turntable can be placed in register with these outer railways.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a turntable assembly for moving railcars comprises a rotatably mounted preferably non movable platform of about 200 feet diameter having a frame of I-beams and the railway tracks of the platform being mounted atop I-beams. The rotatably mounted plate form may also be configured as non movable.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a turntable assembly for moving railcars comprises an annular frame of about 200 feet internal diameter at the inner end and about 400 feet external diameter at the outer end. The annular frame also comprises I-beams which provide primary support structure to the same.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable housed in a building and comprises a platform having at least one central railway for aligning with at least one of the said intermediate railways.

In another aspect of the present invention, a platform being connected with means for rotatably mounting said platform concentrically within said annular frame.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable comprises a building comprises a plurality of partitions each aligned with a corresponding one of the intermediate railways and segregated into chambers each served by one or more outer railways.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable further comprises a circuitous track bedded below annular frame and a wheeled carriage mounted underneath said annular frame for riding and circuitous track.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable further comprises a wheeled carriage having a plurality of auxiliary trucks supportively mounted underneath corresponding ones of said intermediate railways to ride said circuitous track.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable comprises a powered truck for turning annular frame. The powered tuck is mounted in annular frame between an adjacent pair of intermediate railways to drive on circuitous track.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable comprises motor means for applying a torque at the perimeters of the platform for turning it.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable further comprises a plurality of circuitous channels bedded below said annular frame at its perimeter and throughout entire base area, at least a concrete guide member depending from said annular frame and projecting into said circuitous channel for guiding the annular frame. Each concrete guiding member provides circuitous channels for the rail bed.

In another aspect of the present invention, a turntable further comprises a guiding member having hi-strength concrete (6000 p.s.i) designed for Cooper E-80 loading plus 60% impact. The guiding member is pie shaped at 110 ft. radius and 490 ft. respectively. Each concrete guiding member provides circuitous channels for the rail bed.

In another aspect of the present invention, the central railway of platform comprises four pair of perpendicularly crossing railway tracks.

In a further aspect, the present invention comprises a method for moving railcars between a plurality of radially disposed, outer railways, by employing a concentric assembly of radial, intermediate railways, and a concentric central railway.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a method for moving railcars comprises the steps of aligning central railway with a selected one of outer railways; rolling one or more of the railcars from selected one of outer railways to selected one of intermediate railways; turning concentric assembly to align selected one of intermediate railways with another one of outer railways; and turning central railway with concentric assembly to align selected one of intermediate railways and central railway with another one of outer railways. Thus, the first railcar can be moved to that second one of the outer railways.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a, turntable assembly wherein upon arrival of each mainline train, sequencing turntables commences with simultaneous railcar/s blocking movements for expediting quick, sort, hump and spot objectives one train at a time.

In a further another aspect of the present invention, it provides a turntable assembly that bridges a gap in a feeder track when the center and outer railways are in alignment. Under these circumstances, one or possibly more railcars can be placed onto the outer railways, which then rotate out of alignment with the feeder track (possibly into alignment with a service spur). Once railcars are moved away from alignment with the feeder track then other tracks on the outer railways can be realigned with the feeder track to receive other railcars. In this fashion, railcars to be distributed can be quickly placed on the encircling railway and either stored thereon or rolled onto a service spur while new railcars are being loaded onto the turntable from the feeder track.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made in the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the improved sequencing turntables in accordance with the principals of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the middle and most center turntables;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the four rail track/crossing or crossing (diamond);

FIG. 4 is an elevation sectional drawing illustrating the railcar axle-wheels assembly on trucks and the steel I-beam/s supported at right angle by the railcar trucks;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional, elevation view of the turntable of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed elevation view of a wheel support;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a third steel rail cross section of the left most of three rail wheel truck assemblies;

FIG. 8 shows a complete high strength structural concrete panel;

FIG. 9 illustrates a typical concrete panel abutment joint; and

FIG. 10 illustrates one of eight galvanized steel inserts per panel

FIGS. 11 & 12 show a plan view of the high strength structural concrete panels.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The exemplary embodiments described herein detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many variations in structure and design. It should be emphasized, however that the present invention is not limited to a particular sequencing turntable assembly shown and described. Rather, the principles of the present invention can be used with a variety of turntable configurations and structural arrangements. It is understood that various omissions, substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.

As a stationary rail car is costly to the shipper, the railroad carrier, and to the economy, the present invention provides a system and method of sequencing turntable for reducing rail car dwell time by physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards thereby saving the cost for the shipper, the railroad carrier and in turn the economy at large.

The present invention provides a system and method of sequencing turntable assembly for reducing rail car dwell time in rail yards, to place the railcars in sequence which have same destinations and may come from different sources, to save space, to quickly move/direct railcars to their destination tracks, physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards. Further, the present invention provides for an improved turntable assembly having simple structural indices and multiple tracks for reliable operation by allowing placing of multiple railcars on turntables simply by repositioning the turntables to accept new railcars without removing existing railcar. Railcars on railways may be removed from the turntable, while new railcars are loaded onto the turntable from the feeder railway, at the same time the turntable can act as a bypass for traffic on the feeder track.

FIGS. 1-7 shows turntable assembly. A central platform 10 is mounted concentrically and rotatably within a rotatable annular frame 12. Central platform 10 has a central railway in the form of two pairs of perpendicularly crossing railway tracks 14. Platform 10 is rotatably mounted on circuitous railway 16 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. The diameter of central platform 10 is preferably 200 feet, although this dimension can be varied depending upon the expected size of the railcar and the desired capacity of the platform.

Annular frame 12 is shown supporting twenty four equiangularly spaced, intermediate railways 18 shown as twelve aligned pairs of railways. This spacing allows each pair to operate with railway tracks 14 as a bypass. The intermediate railways 18 are preferably 300 feet long, but may have a different length, depending upon the capacity of the assembly and the expected size of the railcars.

A plurality of outer railways 25, 25A are illustrated in FIG. 1. Outer railways 25A, shown in this view in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, are part of the feeder track used to bring railcars to and from the turntable. In each quadrant six outer railways 25 are equiangularly spaced at 15 degree intervals.

In other embodiments the outer railways 25 can be fewer or lesser in number and can be distributed at almost any convenient position. It is advantageous however, to have some of the outer railways 25 align with the intermediate railways 18, when two of them are aligned with the feeder railway 25A. Under these circumstances, railcars on intermediate railways 18 may be removed from the turntable, while new railcars are loaded onto the turntable from the feeder railway 25A. At the same time, the turntable can act as a bypass for traffic on the feeder track 25A.

Annular frame 12 is rotatably supported on circuitous tracks 20 and 22. As shown in FIG. 1. A number of wheeled carriages 24 ride on circuitous tracks 20 and 22, respectively as shown in FIG. 4. Wheeled carriages 24 are trucks, much like those on railroad railcars, and may have a pair of axles, each axle having a pair of flanged wheels of the conventional type. Referring to FIG. 1 and more particularly to FIG. 5, a circuitous railway 16 is shown as a conventional rail bedded below central platform 10. Central platform 10 is composed of a frame of I-beams 28. I-beams 28 can be arranged in a grid or in a parallel group much like floor joists. Alternatively, the I-beams 28 can be arranged in concentric polygons. These I-beams 28 can be either welded together or can be joined by supporting struts or by an overlying or underlying panel. Central platform 10 is also shown including previously mentioned railway tracks 14 mounted atop the I-beam 28.

In some embodiments, the space between the railway tracks 14 can be covered by reticular structure such subway grating or “Diamond” plate. The grating or plate need not necessarily be part of the supporting structure but in some embodiment will.

Similarly, I-beams 34 can provide the primary support structure for the annular frame 12. Again, the I-beams 34 can be arranged in a grid or in a group of concentric regular polygons. As before, struts or connecting plates or grates can provide the structural connection between the I-beams 28 or 34.

A pair of powered trucks 36 are shown in FIG. 4 mounted on diametrically opposite sides of annular frame 12. The figure shows the sub-soils and hi-strength structural concrete panels containing the evenly spaced railroad tracks. The railcar axle wheel assembly on trucks which contain AC electric traction motors at the perimeters of the annular frame 12 and outer railways. The steel I-beam 28 (not shown in the figure) is supported at right angles by the railcar tracks which are double or tri axle. Trucks 36 drive along circuitous track 22. In this embodiment, powered trucks 36 can be much like the powered trucks found on diesel locomotives or subway railcars, that is the wheels on the trucks can be turned by electric motor. Alternatively, a diesel engine can be mounted on trucks 36 to directly power these trucks or to power a generator that drive the motors that move trucks 36.

In FIG. 5 & 6 platform 10 is shown connected to drive shaft 38 which supports a drive gear 40. Motor means 42 can drive gear 40 to turn drive shaft 38 and platform 10. Motor means 42 can be an electric motor, a diesel motor, or other appropriate motor means.

The rotation of annular frame 12 and platform 10 can be performed by manually actuating electrical switches that power or de-power the drive source moving platform 10 and annular frame 12. Alternatively, platform 10 and annular frame 12 can have position sensing devices similar to those employed in elevators, so that annular frame 12 and platform 10 can rotate until they reach a position marker indicating the need to decelerate and stop in registration with the appropriate track.

To facilitate an understanding of the principles associated with the foregoing assembly, its use is briefly described. A train can be driven along main feeder railway 25A as shown in FIG. 1. When a railcar destined for turntable 10, 12, the railcar is positioned on annular frame 12 either to the upstream or downstream side of annular frame 12. Once thus positioned, the railcar is decoupled at both ends and the adjacent railcars are moved away.

Next, powered tracks 36 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 are started to turn annular frame 12 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. In some instances, two railcars can be placed on annular frame 12 on either side of platform 10. Annular frame 12 is rotated either to place the just removed railcar in alignment with a railway 25 destined to receive that railcar or otherwise the annular frame 12 is just incremented to the next position, so that the next available intermediate railway 18 aligns with feeder railway 25A.

If a previously removed railcar now aligns with its destination railway 25, two operations can occur simultaneously. First, the previously removed railcar can be shunted from annular frame 12 toward the end of it destination railway 25 and secondly another railcar is positioned on annular frame 12. A railcar can be moved onto and along its destination railway 25 by well known portable rail railcar movers, although in some instances a small locomotive, a cable hauling line, or other apparatus may be used to move the railcars.

In the foregoing operation, the central platform 10 remained in position and did not rotate. Indeed in some embodiments platform 10 will be stationary by design. In some cases however, an extremely long railcar may exceed the width of annular frame 12 so that the railcar may actually need to straddle platform 10. In this case, the extra long railcar can still be handled, but the central platform 10 must turn together with annular frame 12. When platform 10 must rotate, motor means 42 as shown in FIG. 5 is energized to drive gear 40 and drive shaft 38 to rotate the platform 10. Thus, once turntable 10, 12 is in alignment with the destination railway 25, the extra long railcar can simply travel over the still aligned railways on platform 10 and annular frame 12 to reach the destination railway 25.

By employing a separate central platform 10, a relatively large number of intermediate railways 18 can be achieved, twenty four as in the disclosed embodiments. With a large number of intermediate railway 18, a central platform 10 along with annular frame 12, can accommodate a large number of railcars. In fact, twenty two railcars can be stacked onto annular frame 12, still leaving the central platform 10 and the annular frame 12 open to feeder railway 25A.

The third steel ran cross section of the left most of three rail wheel truck assemblies is shown in FIG. 7. A line from the electric motor to third rail web carries the electric power from the sub station to the AC electric traction motors.

FIG. 8 shows a complete high strength structural concrete panel of 6000 p.s.i Cooper E 80 loading plus 60% impact. Underneath this panel is a prepared cementitious flow-filled poured mixture which reinforces the sub soils and provides a dead level based to support high strength structural concrete panels.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a typical concrete panel abutment joint. The top half is formed to provide a basin to fill the space with a neoprene and composite proofing compound. FIG. 10 illustrates one of eight galvanized steel inserts per panel that are each placed into the concrete prior to pour and set to accommodate receiving steel fasten clips to hold the railroad rail into gauge required place and spacing.

FIGS. 11 and 12 shows a plan view of the high strength structural concrete panel formed at a time of pour to maintain the circuitous varying degrees to track curvature. There are some 20 plus 360° circle tracks which support the sequencing turntable assembly.

It is to be appreciated that various modifications may be implemented with respect to the above described preferred embodiments. While the platform 10 and annular frame 12 are shown supported by rails and wheels, in some embodiments, the rails may be replaced with flat road bed over which support wheels travel. Alternatively, a number of small support wheels mounted along the outer and inner perimeter of the annular frame 12 or platform 10 can ride in V-shaped channels to support the structure. On the other hand supporting roller can be mounted in the ground and the platform and annular frame 12 roll over the rollers. While a powered truck is shown turning the annular frame 12, in other embodiments, the annular frame 12 can be turned by a ring gear circumscribing the outer perimeter of the annular frame 12. Alternatively, a chain or cable system can engage a rack or groove encircling the annular frame 12. Also, the number and the angular orientation of the railways on and off the turntable can be varied, depending upon the desired size, capacity and strength of the system. Furthermore, in some embodiments the turntable will not be located inside of a building but centrally among a group of outbuildings or other facilities.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise then as specifically described. The preferred embodiments described herein detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many variations in structure and design. It should be emphasized, however, that the present invention is not limited to the particular sequencing turntable shown and described. Rather, the principles of the present invention can be used with a variety of sequencing turntable configurations and structural arrangements. It is understood that various omissions, substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention. 

1. A turntable assembly for moving railcars adapted to be concentrically positioned among a plurality of radially aligned pairs of outer railways, comprising: a fixed mounted platform having a central railway in the form of a plurality of perpendicularly crossing railway tracks; and an azimuthally rotatable annular frame with inner and outer ends having a spaced plurality of radially disposed intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different pairs of said outer railways at the outer ends and aligning with at least one of said perpendicular crossing railway tracks at the inner ends; said azimuthally rotatable annular frame concentrically circumscribing said rotatably mounted platform.
 2. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 1, wherein the center platform is not less than 200 feet in diameter.
 3. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 1, wherein the center platform is non movable, said platform further is comprised of a frame of I-beams in a 4 cross track diamond configuration.
 4. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular frame is about 200 feet internal diameter at the inner end and about 400 feet external diameter at the outer end.
 5. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim wherein said railway tracks are atop I-beams.
 6. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 5 wherein said mounting may be in the form of welding, supporting struts, by an overlying or underlying panel or the like thereby providing structural connection between said I-beams.
 7. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 5 wherein said I-beam is arranged in the form of a group of concentric regular polygons.
 8. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 1 wherein said annular frame also comprises I-beams providing primary support structure to said frame.
 9. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of circuitous channels bedded below said annular frame at its perimeter and throughout entire base area; at least a guide member depending from said annular frame and projecting into said circuitous channel for guiding said annular frame.
 10. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 7 wherein said guide member is a concrete guide member that provides circuitous channels for the rail bed.
 11. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 7 wherein said guiding member/s is comprised of hi-strength concrete (6000 p.s.i) designed for Cooper E-80 loading plus 60% impact.
 12. The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim 7 wherein said guiding member is pie shaped and placed at 110 ft. and 490 ft radius respectively.
 13. An azimuthally rotatable annular frame for a turntable assembly having a rotatably mounted platform with railway tracks, adapted to be concentrically positioned among a plurality of radially aligned pairs of outer railways, having a spaded plurality of radially disposed intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different pairs of said outer railways and at least one of said railway tracks, said azimuthally rotatable annular frame concentrically circumscribing said fixed mounted platform and provides for moving railcars efficiently thereby reducing railcar dwell time. 